Three major water companies in England, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, and Northumbrian Water, have been fined a total of £168 million by the water regulator Ofwat for mismanagement of sewage treatment works and illegal sewage dumping. Thames Water faces the largest penalty of £104 million, followed by Yorkshire Water with £47 million, and Northumbrian Water with £17 million. The fines are a result of an Ofwat investigation into the companies' failure to properly manage wastewater networks and storm overflows, which led to untreated waste being discharged into the environment. Ofwat's CEO, David Black, emphasized the seriousness of the breaches, noting that the fines are intended to ensure accountability without passing the cost onto customers.